Suction cleaner



April 3 1934 w. H. KlTTo SUCTION CLEANER Filed may 28, 1930 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 APY 3, 1934- w. H KIT-ro 1,953,616 A sUcTIvoN CLEANER Filed may 28, '1930 s sheetsfsneet 2 W. H. KlTTO sUcTIoN CLEANER Filed May 28, 1930 April 3, 1934.

s sheets-sheet 5 Patented Apr. 3, 1934 SUCTION CLEANER william n. Kitt, cantn, ohio, assignor to The Hoover Company, North Canton, Ohio, u zorporation of Ohio application May 2s, 1930, serial No. 456,3s4

13 claims.

The present invention relates to improvements in suction cleanerA construction. It is the primary object of the present invention to provide a new and novel suction cleaner construction in which the agitation of the` surface covering undergoing cleaning is accomplished by new and novel means. It is a further object of the present invention to provide a suction cleaner in which a secondary suction nozzle is provided within the 0 main nozzle. `It is a still further object of the present invention to provide a' suction cleaner in which a, secondary nozzle, positioned within the main nozzle, is actuated relative to said main nozzle. Other andmore specific objects will appear upon reading the following specification and considering the drawings annexed thereto.

In the drawings in which like reference characters refer to like parts thruout:

Figure 1 is a side view, with certain parts broken away and showing certain parts upon the line 1-1 of Figure 3, of the suction cleaner constructed in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 2 is a bottom view of the suction cleaner disclosed in Figure 1, showing the operating mechanism upon the line 2 2 of Figure 1, with the bottom plate removed.

Figure 3 is a front view of the present invention with certain parts broken away.

suction cleaner constructionin which a plurality of nozzles are provided in one construction. The usual or main nozzle is so constructed that it performs the function of providing a seal with the surface covering undergoing cleaning at the eX- penditure of a relativelysmall suction. The main nozzle lips are spaced at a relatively great distance apart so that, in the operation of the mao chine, the covering is bowed Within said nozzle between said lips. In the bowed section of the.

covering the nap or pile thereof is necessarily spread or opened at its top and an open pathway to the base thereof is presented to the cleaning 5 air thereby permitting the removal of the deeply embedded foreign particles. Positioned within the main nozzle is a secondary nozzle provided with penetrating ]ips, that is, lips `whose width .are of such a magnitude that they will penetrate between adjacent rows of pilel or adjacent tufts of a single row of pile of a surface covering. The secondary nozzle is connected directly to the eye of the fan chamber and is movably mounted within the main nozzle. A driving motor is operatively connected to the secondary nozzle and ini- The present invention provides a new and novel nozzle 12 are adapted to contact the surface covparts thereto, in the operation of the cleaner, a horizontally reciprocating motion.

In the operation of the cleaner as the surface covering is drawn against the broad sealing lips of the main nozzle and is lifted and bowed between said lips the penetrating lips of the secondary nozzle contact this bowed-up portion and extend thereinto. The reciprocating motion imparted to the secondary nozzle results -in the nozzle lips agitating and flexing the pile of the bowed sectionof the covering thereby dislodging the embedded foreign particles therein and making possible their removal by the cleaning air which passes under said lips in gaining entrance into said secondary nozzle as it passes to the fan chamber.

Referring now to the drawings the reference character 1 indicates a suction cleaner 'constructed in accordance with the present invention. The suction cleaner comprises the motor casing 2 enclosing the motor 3;' the fan'chamber 4 enclosing the fan 5 which is carried by the motor shaft 6; and the main nozzle 7 carried by the fan casing 4. Handle bail 8 is pivotally mounted upon the motor casing 2 at the pivot 9 and front supporting wheels 10, 10 and the rear supporting wheels 1l, 11 support the cleaner in operative relation above the surface covering undergoing cleaning. l

Positioned Within ythe main nozzle 7 is the secondary nozzle 12, which exhausts directly into the eye of the'fan chamber 4, it being movably and flexibly connected to the downwardly projecting mouth 13 of the substantially cylindrical housing 14 by 'means of a ilexible coupling '15. Housing 14' entirely encloses the fan eye and prevents the entrance of air into the fan chamber except through mouth 13 in the operation of the machine 4as a cleaning unit. Secondary nozzle 12 is supported within the main nozzle 7 upon the supporting rods 16, 16 which extend through its wall at the bearings 17, 17 which are slidably mounted on said supporting rods. The rods 16, 16 extend across the width of the nozzle mouth being suitably mounted at their forward ends in the forward main nozzle wall and at their rear ends in the iront wheel supporting walls 7a, 7a which extend substantially parallel to the rear wall of the main nozzle at that point. Springso5 18, 18 which are positioned upon the rods 16, 16 1 at the sides of the-secondaryV nozzle 12 tend to resiliently maintain said-nozzle in its'position and prevent unnecessary play.

'I'he lower edges oi'- the walls of the secondary 5 vlips so narrowed are known as pile penetrating lips and are indicated by the reference characters 19 and 20. Positioned upon the lower edges of the walls of the main nozzle '7 and extending slightly below the plane ofthe penetrating lips 19 and 20 are the relatively broad sealing lips.A

21 and 22 against which the surface coveringis sealed in the operation of the cleaner.

Fixedly connected to the rear wall of secondarynozzle 12 by securing means 23 are the 15 arms of the rod 24 which extend through a suit` able opening in the rear wall of the main nozzle '7 and are movable therethrough. The arms of the rod 24 converge into a single arm in the rear of the fan chamber and, in the operation of the cleaner, -are horizontally reciprocated by the driving motor 3 through a mechanism hereinafter described.

Carried by the motor shaft 6, at its rear end,l

is a spiral gear 25. Rotatably mounted adjacent 25 the spiral gear 25 is the shaft 26 carried by the bearings 27 and 28 provided by themotor casing. Gear 29, carried by the shaft 26, coacts with the gear 25 and, in the operation of the suction cleaner, drives the shaft 26. Carried by the 30 lower end of shaft 26 is an offset or eccentric stub shaft 30 mounted in the ball bearing 31. Bearing 31 is positioned within the sliding block 32 (see Figure 2) which, as the eccentric shaft 30 rotates with the shaft 26, receives a motion com;

posed' of components -in the direction of the lengthand breadth of the cleaner. The sliding block 32 is slidingly positioned within the yoke c 33 which is flxedly attached to the driving rod 24. Compression springs 34 and 35 are positioned between the sides of the block 32 and the yoke 33 and, while permitting suillcient movement of said sliding blocky to accommodate the sideward displacement of the block 32 resulting from the rotation of shaft- 30 about the center of shaft prevent any looseness therein. Relative movement 0f theblock 32 within the yoke 33 in the direction of the length of the cleaner is prevented through the sliding fit between the two.

members and the movement of block 32 in this 5@ direction as caused by the eccentricity foi' the shaft 3Q, is accommodated by the sliding of the yoke 33 within its channel 36 provided in the motor casing. Plate 37,' secured to the motor casing by securing means 38, 38, provides the bottom plate for the yoke channel 36 and serves ,to protect the bearing 31 upon the eccentric shaft 30.- 4

In the operation of the cleaner as the motorV 3 revolves the shaft 26 is rotated by the inter- 00 meshing gears 25 and 29 and the eccentric stub shaft 30 is revolved. The movement of the shaft 30 imparts a reciprocating motiony to the yoke 33 and accordingly to the driving rod A24 of which said yoke is a. part. The high frequency reciprocation of the driving rod 24 is imparted lto the secondary nozzle 12 within the main nozzle .'1 resulting in the reciprocation of that Thel surface covering undergoing cleaning is "uned, m theopemuon of the cleaner, against sealing means to insure the reduced 'pressure v vnecessary for lifting the surface covering, offer -minimum resistance to movement of the cleaner thereover. The area of the` surface covering within the boundaries defined by the front and rear lips and the side walls of the main nozzle is liftedupward into contact therewith by thel action of the reduced pressure in said nozzle vresulting in the spreading apart of the upstanding pile of the covering. The penetrating lips upon the secondary nozzle positioned within the ymain nozzle extend into and between the individual tufts of the pile of the bowed surface covering and, being reciprocated at a high frequency, vibrate and bend these tufts resulting in the dislodgment of the foreign particles embedded therein and therebetween. The cleaning air which necessarily passes under the agitating penetrating lips removes, at the point of agitation, the foreign particles and results in maximum cleaning eillciency.

The cooperation of the main nozzle with its broad sealing lips and the positively actuated secondary. nozzle with its penetrating lips makes possible high cleaning eiciency. The broad sealing lips-insure the necessary seal for lifting the covering without undue resistance to movement and the penetrating lips insure the dislodgment of the particles within and between the individual tufts of pile.

From the foregoing it is clearA that a new and novel suction cleaner construction has been provided, and having clearly illustrated and described the same, I claimz- 1. In a suction cleaner, suction-creating means, a suction nozzle connected to saidsuction-creating means and having front and rear lips, means supporting said nozzle with said lips above the normal plane of a surface covering undergoing cleaning, said lips being adapted to contact said surface covering as it is lifted by the reduced pressure in said nozzle created by said suction-creating means. and a second nozzle open to said suc tion-creating means thru said first-mentioned nozzle and having surface-contacting lips extending along and spaced from the lips of said rst- 'mentioned nozzle.

2. A suction cleaner comprising a plurality of surface-contacting suction nozzles, one of said nozzles positioned within the other and having pile penetrating lips adapted to extend between adjacent rows of covering pile or between adjacent tufts thereof, and suction-producing means producing va minimum pressure in said inner nozlzile causing air toow under said penetrating 3. A suction cleaner comprising an inner suction nozzle, pile penetrating lips adapted to extend between adjacent rows of covering pile or inner nomle causing'airto owunder said pilev`- penetrating lips.

4. A suction cleaner comprising a movablyfV mounted inner suction nozzle having surface contacting lips. an outer -suction nozzle having toactuatcsaidinnernonlcwithinsaidoutcrnossanction cleaner ,comprising a movably nimhdinnunonlehavlnsapilepenctratinc spaced from said first-mentioned lips. and means y ing motor and an eccentric lip, an outer nozzle, pile penetrating lip.

6. A suction cleaner comprising a movably mounted inner nozzle having a pile penetrating lip, an outer nozzle, broad sealing lips carried by said outer nozzle and means to actuate said pile penetrating lip. f

7. In a suction cleaner, suction-creating means, a main nozzle having surface-contacting lips, means supporting said nozzle with said lips above the normal plane o f a surface covering undergoing cleaning, movably mounted spaced agitating means inv said nozzle through which air cannot pass extended substantially into the plane vof the said lips', means to actuate said agitating means, and means directingl the draft of said suction-creating means to said nozzle to a point between said agitating .means so that the cleaning air will pass thereunder.

and means to actuate said 8. In a suction cleaner a driving motor, a main i vclaim characterized by the nozzle having surface-contacting lips, a secondary nozzle havingv surface-contacting lips movably mounted within said main nozzle, a shaft xedly connected to said secondary nozzle, a yoke carried by said shaft, a shaft driven by the drivpin carried by said driven shaft operatively connected to said yoke to impart a lhorizontally reciprocating motion thereto in the operation of the cleaner.

9. In a suction cleaner adapted to lift the surface covering undergoing cleaninga main nozzle, broad sealing lips on said main nozzle to which the surface covering is sealed, means supporting -said main nozzle with said lips spaced above the and a secondary normal plane ofthe covering, n A main nozzle hav-i nozzle positioned within `said ing agitating means adapted to agitate the lifted K surface covering within the main nozzle, and means to create a reduced pressure in said secondary nozzle.

10. In a suction cleaner, suction-creating means, a nozzle including front and rear surfacecontacting lips connected to said suction-creating means, and a surface-contacting lip spaced fromA one of said nozzle lips and extending therealong, means forming a sealed chamber open only along its bottomrbetween said spaced lip and the adjacent nozzle lip so that air drawn under said nozzle lip'by said suction-creating means will pass between said spaced lip and the surface covering undergoing cleaning andv through said sealed chamber, and means supporting said lips above the normal plane of a surface covering undergoing cleaning, the relationship between said spaced lip and the adjacent noule lip being such that the surface covering undergoing cleaning is lifted by the reduced pressure in said chamber and'nozzle from said spaced lip to the far side of said nozzle.

11. The construction defined by the preceding fact that the nozzle lip adjacent said spaced lip is of the pile penetrating type being adapted to extend between adjacent rows of pile andbetween adjacent tufts of pile of a surface covering undergoing cleaning.

12. The construction dened by the second preceding claim characterized by the fact that said spaced lip is of the broad sealing type and by the further fact that the adjacent nozzle lip is ofthe pile penetrating type.

13. 'I'he construction defined by the third preceding claim characterized by the fact that the nozzle lip adjacent said spaced lip is movably mounted and by the further fact that means are 4provided to actuatesaid lip to agitate the contact- 

